Denmark is a country in Northern Europe. Part of it, Jutland, lies on a peninsula north of Germany while a number of islands, including two major ones, Zealand and Funen, are spread across the Baltic Sea between Jutland and Sweden.
Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the general political and economic integration of Europe. However, the country has opted out of European Union's Maastricht Treaty, the European monetary system (EMU), and issues concerning certain internal affairs.
Regions
Denmark consist of the following regions:
Smaller islands:
Denmark also has two overseas dependencies:
Cities
These are the four major cities in Denmark:
Other destinations
Remarkable Bridges
There are several remarkable bridges interconnecting Danish islands.
Understand
Terrain — Denmark is home to the 'lowest-highest' point in Europe; but what that exactly entails is somewhat uncertain. Ejer Baunehøj, in the Lake District region south-west of Aarhus (Århus), seems to be the highest natural point (171m with a large tower built on top to commemorate the fact), although Yding Skovhøj, some 3km away stands 2m higher owing to an ancient burial mound. Either way, the 254m tops of the towers of the Great Belt Bridge are technically the highest point(s) in Denmark!
Get in
By plane
Denmark is served by two major and several minor airports.
By train
There are five direct trains per day from Hamburg to Copenhagen, approximately every two to three hours. These trains are loaded onto a ferry for the sea passage from Puttgarten to Rødby, and the total journey time is around 4.5 hours. There are also two train lines to Jutland from Hamburg, one via Padborg and the other via Tønder.
Trains run every twenty minutes from Malmö to Copenhagen. The total journey time is 35 minutes.
By Bus
Graahundbus, Eurolines, and Midttrafik run buses between european and danish destinations.
Berlin DKK 200 (7 hours).
By boat
Get around
Long distance train travel is done with DSB, the Danish State Rail system. A number of long distance bus companies also operate. Each region in Denmark has its own local public transportation company. For public transportation (trains, buses and ferries) use the online travel planner Rejseplanen .
There are two ways to buy tickets. For local trips you can buy a ticket from the regional transportation company based on a zone system. This ticket is valid on all public transportation including DSB trains for one to two hours (depending on the number of zones you travel). Most public transportation companies offer a number of passes which can save you a substantial amount on transportation. In the greater Copenhagen region, the zone system is complemented by a system of “klippekort”, clip cards. These cards come in a variety of colors where the color signifies the total number of zones one can travel through for each clip. So a two zone card clipped once allows one an hour of travel throughout two zones. A two zone card clipped twice in the same machine is valid for travel in four zones or from the airport at Kastrup to the main train station in Copenhagen. DSB also uses a similar system of klippekort for travel in the Oresund region.
To use a klippekort, you insert the card, face up, into the yellow machine on the train platform. You will hear a clunk as a clip is removed from card. Repeat to add zones. The machine will also have a zone map and a guide to explain how many clips it takes to travel from where you are to where you want to go. Most regions have their own klippekort but they do not work between regions. Some of the long distance bus companies offer klippekort that are valid for a specific route across regions but these are probably of little use for travelers as they have to be bought on cards of 10 clips(trips).
By bus
Long distance bus-service between Jutland and Copenhagen is possible with the companies Abildshou (line 888) and Søndergaards Busser .
An Århus-Copenhagen ticket is 240 DDK for adults with Abildskou.
See also the overview www.fjernbusser.dk
By train
The primary Danish train company is Danish State Rail or DSB although there are other small rail lines operated by other companies. DSB also operates the S-Tog commuter rail system around the greater Copenhagen area. Eurail passes are valid on all DSB trains. Danish trains are very comfortable, very modern and very expensive. Tickets can be purchased in stations, from vending machines in the stations and via DSB's website. In addition to a ticket, some trains require a seat assignment. Most trains have 230V power outlets.
Due to worn out rails the trains are often late and will be so for the next few years. A new, less ambitious schedule is to be implemented August 21 2006. This will not affect the S-Tog which will probably continue to be somewhat unreliable (use a 20 minute buffer if planning trips longer than, say, 20 minutes).
All trips with trains and local buses can be scheduled electronically through rejseplanen.dk
By ferry
The only way get to most of the smaller islands, is by ferry.
Ferries are the best way to get to Bornholm, a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, although it also can be reached by plane.
By car or bicycle
There are no toll-roads except the two big bridges: Storebæltbroen between Zealand and Funen (DKK 200 one way), and Øresundbroen between Copenhagen and Malmo (DKK 235 one way).
Margueritruten is one 3500 Km long connected route of small scenic roads passing 100 important Danish attractions. It is marked by brown signs with the white Marguerite Daisy flower. It is marked on most roadmaps.
Biking in Denmark is, in general, safe and easy. Drivers are used to bikes everywhere, and all mayor cities have biketrails along most roads. Denmark is quite flat, but can be windy, cold or wet on a bike. Bikes are generally allowed on trains (seperate ticket is needed).
Note that biking on the highways (Da: motorvej) is prohibited, and that this also includes the Great Belt Bridge and the Øresund Bridge. Trains can be used between Nyborg and Korsør and between Copenhagen and Malmö if you need to cross the bridges.
Official marked routes across the country can be found in the guides on this page:
By thumb
It's quite easy to hitchhike in Denmark. People who pick up hitchhikers usually speak English.
Destination boards are recommended. It's illegal to hitchhike on the highways, so it is better to use highway-entrances and gas stations. When crossing by ferry, try to get into a car that already paid for the ticket.
If you hitchhike from the southern part of Denmark (direction from Hamburg or Kiel, Germany), and continue in direction to Copenhagen, make sure the driver doesn't stop in Kolding. If he does, ask him to stop at the last gas station before Kolding. On the Kolding highway crossing there is no place to hitchhike and it's one of the worst places in Europe for hitchhikers.
Check out the Tips for hitchhiking article here on wikitravel if you are new to hitchhiking.
By air
Scandinavian Airlines, Danish Air Transport and Cimber Air all operate domestic routes. If you are not in a hurry, however, trains will often get you where you want to go a lot cheaper. The exception being the Island of Bornholm where air travel is often both fast and inexpensive.
Talk
Denmark's national language is Danish, a member of the Germanic branch of the group of Indo-European languages, and within that family, part of the North Germanic, East Norse group. It is, in theory, very similar to Norwegian Bokmål and Swedish, and is to some extent intelligible to speakers of those languages, especially in written form. Its sound, however, is more influenced by the guttural German language, though, rather than the lilting languages found to the north and understanding spoken Danish may be a trace more difficult to those who only speak Swedish or Norwegian.
English is widely spoken in Denmark, especially in the larger cities. Many Danes also speak German, and it is widely spoken in areas that attract many tourists from Germany, i.e. mainly the Jutland West Coast, the southern part of Funen and nearby islands (e.g. Langeland and Ærø), and also in Southern Jutland (Sønderjylland / Northern Schleswig).
Bring your own unlocked GSM phone to make calls. Prepaid SIM cards are available at most shops and international calling can be reasonably priced. The prepaid credit generally only work in Denmark, but can be purchased in small amounts to avoid waste when you leave.
Buy
The national currency is the Danish krone (DKK, plural "kroner"). In the more "touristy" shops in Copenhagen, and at the traditional beach resorts along the Jutland West Coast and Bornholm Island it will often be possible to pay in Euro. The Danish krone is pegged to the Euro to an accuracy of 2.25%. In the 12 months from Aug 2005 to Aug 2006 the average exchange rate was 1 EUR = 7.46 DKK.
Automatic teller machines are widely available even in small towns. Credit cards are also widely accepted but not universally. Beware that many retailers will add a 2%-3% transaction charge (often without warning) if you pay with a credit card.
You should note that almost everything in Denmark is expensive; particularly if you're not from Northern Europe. All consumer sales include a 25% sales tax but displayed prices are legally required to include this, so they are always exact. If you are from outside the EU/Scandinavia you can have some of your sales tax refunded when leaving the country.
Eat
Apart from the kebab shops and pizza stands, dining in Denmark can be fairly expensive, but a worthwhile cost. Traditional Danish fare includes items as pickled herring, fried sanddab, and other assorted seafood items. Hearty meats are also prevalent, as seen in items such as frikadeller (pork only or pork and veal meat balls topped by a brown sauce) and "stegt flæsk og persillesovs" (thick pork bacon slices topped by a parsley cream sauce). Many meals are also accompanied by a beer, and shots of aquavit or schnaps, though these are mainly enjoyed when guests are over. Drinking along with meals is encouraged as the foods are enhanced by the drinks, and vice versa. For dessert, try either "ris à l'amande" (rice pudding with almonds and cherries) or æbleskiver (ball-shaped cakes similar in texture to American pancakes, served with strawberry jam), both normally only available in December. For candy try a bag of "Superpiratos" (hot licorice candy).
Smørrebrød
The traditional Danish lunch is smørrebrød, open sandwiches usually on rye bread - fish are served on white bread, and many restaurants give you a choice of bread. Smørrebrød served on special occasions, in lunch restaurants, or bought in lunch takeaway stores, are piled higher than the daily fare.
Some of the most popular and traditional choices are:
Drink
Danish beer is a treat for a beer enthusiast. The largest brewery, Carlsberg (which also owns the Tuborg brand), offers a few choices, as well as a delicious "Christmas beer" in the 6 weeks leading up to the holidays. Other tasty beverages include the aforementioned aquavit, gløgg, a hot wine drink popular in December. Danish beer is mostly limited to pilseners which are good, but not very diverse. However in the last few years Danes have become interested in a wider range of beers. During the Christmas season, Glögg, a hot spiced red wine with raisins and almonds is popular fare for warming up from the cold with a group of friends.
The Danish Beer Enthusiasts maintain a
list of bars and restaurants with a good selection of beers as well as a list of stores with a good selection
Sleep
Budget
Medium
Do
Stay safe
In an emergency dial 112 (police/medical help/fire brigade). This is toll free, and will work even from cell phones even without a SIM card.
Stay healthy
Tap water is potable unless indicated. Restaurants and other places selling food are visited regularly by health inspectors and are awarded points on a 1-4 "smiley scale". The ratings must be prominently displayed, so look out for the happy face when in doubt. While pollution in the major cities can be annoying it doesn't pose any risk to non-residents. Nearly all beaches are fine for bathing - even parts of the Copenhagen harbor recently opened for bathing (read the Stay safe section).
Smoking
Smoking is not allowed in government buildings with public access (hospitals, universities, etc). It is allowed in restaurants and bars, but they have to use an official sign to tell if the place is smoking, non-smoking, or non-smoking in a separate area. Since the 7th of January 2007 smoking is not allowed on trains or in train stations. There have been made propositions in the parliament for a complete smoking ban in all public areas; including restaurants and bars. The majority of politicians and Danes are for a ban. the Danish Lung Association maintains a list of smoke free restaurants, bars etc.
Respect
Contact
Embassies and Consulates
This is a list of embassies and consular posts in Denmark, as of February 2005. The list is far from all-extensive, it includes only the big countries. The embassy addresses themselves are limited to only the main cities, and other places of interest for the particular nation. Full list can be viewed Embassies and Consulates(Updated).
Australia
Copenhagen
Consular Section of Embassy
Dampfærgevej 26
2100 Copenhagen Ø
Tel 70 26 36 76
Brazil
Copenhagen
Consular Section of Embassy
Ryvangs Allé, 24
2100 Copenhagen Ø
Tel 45 3920-6478/79
France
Copenhagen
Consular Section of Embassy
Ny Østergade 3, 2nd fl.
1101 Copenhagen K
Tel 33 67 01 64
Århus
Consul Thorkild Rydahl, 1996
Frederiksgade 34
8000 Århus C
Tel 86 18 35 00
Germany
Copenhagen
Consular Section of Embassy
Stockholmsgade 57, Box 2712
2100 Copenhagen Ø
Tel 35 45 99 00, 35 45 99 11
Middelfart
Consul Torben Østergaard-Nielsen, 1988
c/o A/S Dan-Bunkering Ltd.
Strandvejen 5
Postbox 71
5500 Middelfart
Tel 64 41 54 01
Odense
Consul Knud Thybo, 1984
c/o Fehr & Co. A/S
Svendborgvej 90
5260 Odense S
Tel 66 14 14 14
Århus
Consul Finn Prang-Andersen, 1998
Havnegade 4
8000 Århus C
Tel 86 18 25 88
Italy
Copenhagen
Consular Chancery of Embassy
Engskiftevej 4
2100 Copenhagen Ø
Tel 39 18 34 44
Århus
Consul Henning Holmen Møller, 1996
c/o Rådgivningsfirmaet Holmen Møller ApS
Lille Torv 6
8000 Århus C
Tel 86 12 14 00
Japan
Copenhagen
Consular Section of Embassy
Pilestræde 61
1112 Copenhagen K
Tel 33 11 33 44
Århus
Consul-General Jørgen E. Handberg, 1991
Dalgas Avenue 57
8000 Århus C
Tel 86 18 03 22
The Netherlands
Copenhagen
Consular Section of Embassy
Toldbodgade 33
1253 Copenhagen K
Tel 33 70 72 00
Esbjerg
Consul Ernst Moth Nielsen, 1987
Kvaglundvej 82
6705 Esbjerg Ø
Tel 76 14 55 30
Odense
Consul Robert Rasmussen, 1998
Christiansgade 70
5000 Odense C
Tel 66 11 27 77
Norway
Copenhagen
Consular Section of Embassy
Vice-Consul Eli Strøm, 1996
Consul Erling H.C. Korch, 1984
Amaliegade 39
1256 Copenhagen K
Tel 33 14 01 24
Odense
Consul Steen Haustrup, 1989
Energivej 40
Postboks 151
5260 Odense S
Tel 65 95 70 02
Århus
Consul Heine Bach, 2004
St. Torv 1
8000 Århus C
Tel 89 33 36 19
Spain
Copenhagen
Consular Section of Embassy
Kristianiagade 21
2100 Copenhagen Ø
Tel 35 42 22 66
Århus
Vice-Consul Jens Otto Kjær Hansen, 1994
c/o CFJE
Olof Palmes Allé 11
8200 Århus N
Tel 86 19 02 22
Sweden
Copenhagen
Consular Section of Embassy
Sankt Annæ Plads 15 A
1250 Copenhagen K
Tel 33 36 03 75
Odense
Consul Hans Erik Hempel-Hansen, 1983
Vestergade 97-101
Postbox 927
5100 Odense C
Tel 63 12 82 00
Skagen
Consul Aksel Groth, 1999
Sct. Laurentiivej 26
9990 Skagen
Tel 70 15 10 00
Århus
Consul Søren Lund, 1990
Sct. Clemens Stræde 7, 1
Postbox 623
8100 Århus C
Tel 86 12 50 00
United Kingdom
Copenhagen
Consular Section of Embassy
*Consul David Stanley Thomas Morton, 2002
Vice-Consul Jeanette Christoffersen, 1990
Vice-Consul Susan Jane Oxfeldt Jensen, 1996
Kastelsvej 38
2100 Copenhagen Ø
Tel 35 44 52 00
Odense
Consul Frits Niegel, 1980
Albanitorv 4
5000 Odense
Tel 66 14 47 14
Århus
Consul Claus Herluf, 1988
Skolegade 19 B
8100 Århus C
Tel 87 30 77 77
United States of America
Copenhagen
Consular Section of Embassy
Dag Hammarskjölds Allé 24
2100 Copenhagen Ø
Tel 35 55 31 44
Url www.usembassy.dk
Denmark, officially the Kingdom of Denmark (, , (archaic:) , literally meaning "the boundary of Danes") is the smallest and southernmost of the five Nordic countries if its offshore territories are excluded, and the largest if they are included. Denmark is one of the three Scandinavian countries. The mainland is located north of its only land neighbour, Germany, southwest of Sweden, and south of Norway. Denmark also encompasses two off-shore territories, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, granted home rule in 1979 and 1948 respectively. The national capital is Copenhagen.
Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea. The country consists of a large peninsula, Jutland, which borders northern Germany, plus a large number of islands, most notably Zealand, Funen, Vendsyssel-Thy, Lolland and Bornholm as well as hundreds of minor islands often referred to as the Danish Archipelago. Denmark has historically controlled the approach to the Baltic Sea, and these waters are also known as the Danish straits.
Denmark is a constitutional monarchy and has been a member of the European Union since joining the European Economic Community in 1973. The Faroe Islands and Greenland remain outside the EU customs zone.
Originally relying on farming, fishing and seafaring and without major natural resources, Denmark experienced rapid industrialization and urbanization in the 19th and early 20th century. These trends enabled the establishment of a Scandinavian Model "welfare state" of public services, starting with the 1933 social reforms known as the Kanslergade Agreement. Denmark was occupied by Germany during World War II and, ending a tradition of political neutrality in 1949, became one of the founding members of NATO.
History
Prehistoric Denmark
The earliest archaeological findings in Denmark date back to 130,000–110,000 BC in the Eem interglacial period. People have inhabited Denmark since about 12,500 BC, and agriculture has been in evidence since around 3,900 BC. The Nordic Bronze Age (1,800–600 BC) in Denmark was marked by burial mounds, which left an abundance of findings, including lurs and the Sun Chariot.
During the Pre-Roman Iron Age (500 BC – AD 1), native groups began migrating south. The Roman provinces maintained trade routes and relations with native tribes in Denmark, and Roman coins have been found in Denmark. Evidence of strong Celtic cultural influence dates from this period in Denmark and much of northwest Europe, and is among other things reflected in the finding of the Gundestrup cauldron. in the Roman Iron Age (AD 1–400).
Before the arrival of precursors to the Danes, who came from Scandinavia and spoke an early form of north Germanic, most of Jutland and some islands were settled by Jutes. They later migrated to Britain, together with Angles and Saxons to form the Anglo-Saxons.
The exact origin of Denmark has been lost in history, but a short note about the Dani in "The Origin and Deeds of the Goths" from 551 AD by historian Jordanes is believed by some to be an early mention of the Daner, one of the ethnos from which are descended the modern Danish people. The Danevirke defence structures were built in several phases from the 3rd century forth, and the sheer size of the construction efforts in 737 are attributed to the emergence of a Danish king.
Medieval Denmark
Throughout the High and Late Middle Ages, Denmark also included Skåneland (Skåne, Halland and Blekinge) and Danish kings ruled Danish Estonia, as well as the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. Most of the latter two now form part of northern Germany. In 1397, Denmark entered the Kalmar Union with Norway and Sweden. The union was a personal union with the individual states maintaining their nominal independence. Scandinavia remained unified under this arrangement until Sweden broke away in 1523. The Protestant Reformation came to Scandinavia in the 1530s, and following the Count's Feud civil war, Denmark converted to Lutheranism in 1536. Later that year, Denmark entered into a union with Norway as the Norwegian royal bloodline was extinct with the plague that ravaged Scandinavia.
Recent history
Two centuries of wars with Sweden followed. King Christian IV attacked Sweden in the 1611–13 Kalmar War but failed to accomplish his main objective of forcing Sweden to return to the union with Denmark. The war led to no territorial changes, but Sweden was forced to pay a war indemnity of 1 million silver riksdaler to Denmark, an amount known as the Älvsborg ransom. Christian used this money to found several towns and fortresses, most notably Glückstadt (founded as a rival to Hamburg), Christiania (following a fire destroying the original city), Christianshavn, Christianstad, and Christiansand. Christian also constructed a number of buildings, most notably Børsen, Rundetårn, Nyboder, Rosenborg, a silver mine and a copper mill. Inspired by the Dutch East India Company, he founded a similar Danish company. Christian had planned to claim Sri Lanka as a colony but the company only managed to acquire Tranquebar on India's Coromandel Coast. In the Thirty Year's War, Christian tried to become the leader of the Lutheran states in Germany, but suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Lutter resulting in a Catholic army under Albrecht von Wallenstein occupying and pillaging Jutland. Denmark managed to avoid territorial concessions, but Gustavus Adolphus' intervention in Germany was seen as a sign that the military power of Sweden was rising and the power of Denmark falling. In 1643, Swedish armies invaded Jutland and in 1644 Skåne. In the 1645 Treaty of Brømsebro, Denmark surrendered Halland, Gotland, the last parts of Danish Estonia, and several provinces in Norway. In 1657, king Frederick III declared war on Sweden and marched on Bremen-Verden. This led to a massive Danish defeat and the armies of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden conquered both Jutland, Funen and much of Zealand before signing the Peace of Roskilde in February 1658 which gave Sweden control of Skåne, Blekinge, Trøndelag and the island of Bornholm. Charles X Gustav quickly regretted not having destroyed Denmark completely and in August 1658 he began a two-year long siege of Copenhagen but failed to take the capital. In the following peace settlement, Denmark managed to maintain its independence and regain control of Trøndelag and Bornholm.
Denmark tried to regain control of Skåne in the Scanian War (1675-79) but this attempt was a failure. Following the Great Northern War (1700–21), Denmark managed to restore control of the parts of Schleswig and Holstein ruled by the house of Holstein-Gottorp in 1721 and 1773, respectively. Denmark prospered greatly in the last decades of the 18th century due to its neutral status allowing it to trade with both sides in the many contemporary wars. In the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark originally tried to pursue a policy of neutrality to continue the lucrative trade with both France and the United Kingdom and joined the League of Armed Neutrality with Russia, Sweden and Prussia. The British considered this a hostile act and attacked Copenhagen in both 1801 and 1807, in one case carrying off the Danish fleet, in the other, burning large parts of the Danish capital. These events mark the end of the prosperous Florissant Age and resulted in the Dano-British Gunboat War. British control over the waterways between Denmark and Norway proved disastrous to the union's economy and in 1813, Denmark-Norway went bankrupt. The post-Napoleonic Congress of Vienna demanded the dissolution of the Dano-Norwegian union, and this was confirmed by the Treaty of Kiel in 1814. Denmark-Norway had briefly hoped to restore the Scandinavian union in 1809, but these hopes were dashed when the estates of Sweden rejected a proposal to let Frederick VI of Denmark succeed the deposed Gustav IV Adolf and instead gave the crown to Charles XIII. Norway entered a new union with Sweden which lasted until 1905. Denmark kept the colonies of Iceland, Faroe Islands and Greenland. Apart from the Nordic colonies, Denmark ruled over Danish India (Tranquebar in India) from 1620 to 1869, the Danish Gold Coast (Ghana) from 1658 to 1850, and the Danish West Indies (the U.S. Virgin Islands) from 1671 to 1917.
The Danish liberal and national movement gained momentum in the 1830s, and after the European Revolutions of 1848 Denmark became a constitutional monarchy on 5 June 1849.
After the Second War of Schleswig (Danish: Slesvig) in 1864, Denmark was forced to cede Schleswig and Holstein to Prussia, in a defeat that left deep marks on the Danish national identity. After these events, Denmark returned to its traditional policy of neutrality, also keeping Denmark neutral in World War I. Following the defeat of Germany, the Versailles powers offered to return the then-German region of Schleswig-Holstein to Denmark. Fearing German irredentism, Denmark refused to consider the return of the area and insisted on a plebiscite concerning the return of Schleswig. The two Schleswig Plebiscites took place on 10 February and 14 March, respectively. On 10 July 1920, after the plebiscite and the King's signature (9 July) on the reunion document, Northern Schleswig (Sønderjylland) was recovered by Denmark, thereby adding 163,600 inhabitants and 3,984 km². The reunion day (Genforeningsdag) is celebrated every year 15 June on Valdemarsdag.
Germany's invasion of Denmark on 9 April 1940 — codenamed Operation Weserübung — met only two hours of military resistance before the Danish government surrendered, and Economic cooperation between Germany and Denmark continued until Germany's defeat. During the war, Iceland severed ties to Denmark and became an independent republic, and in 1948 the Faroe Islands gained home rule. After the war, Denmark became one of the founding members of the United Nations and NATO and, in 1973, along with Britain, joined the European Economic Community (later, the European Union). Greenland gained home rule in 1979.
Politics
The Kingdom of Denmark is a constitutional monarchy. As stipulated in the Danish Constitution, the monarch is not answerable for his or her actions, and his or her person is sacrosanct. The monarch appoints and dismisses the Prime Minister and other ministers. Before being validated through royal assent, all bills and important government measures must be discussed in the Statsrådet, a privy council headed by the monarch. The Danish privy council's protocols are secret.
While executive authority belongs to the monarch (as head of state), legislative authority is vested in the monarch and the Danish parliament conjointly. Judicial authority lies with the courts of justice.
Executive authority is exercised on behalf of the monarch by the prime minister and other cabinet ministers who head departments. The cabinet, including the prime minister, and other ministers collectively make up the government. These ministers are responsible to Parliament, the legislative body, which is traditionally considered to be supreme (that is, able to legislate on any matter and not bound by decisions of its predecessors).
The Folketing is the national legislature. It has the ultimate legislative authority according to the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, however questions over sovereignty have been brought forward because of Denmark’s entry into the European Union. In theory however, the doctrine prevails. Parliament consists of 179 members elected by proportional majority.
Parliamentary elections are held at least every four years, but it is within the powers of the prime minister to call one sooner. On a vote of no confidence the parliament may force the entire government to resign.
The Danish political system has traditionally generated coalitions. Most Danish post-war governments have been minority coalitions ruling with parliamentary support.
Since November 2001, the Danish Prime Minister has been Anders Fogh Rasmussen from the Venstre party, a center-right liberal party. Apart from a 10-year period defined by economic reform and foreign policy changes during the 1980s, the Social Democrats have led most post-war Danish governments.
Geography
Denmark's northernmost point is Skagens point (the north beach of the Skaw) at 57° 45' 7" northern latitude, the southernmost is Gedser point (the southern tip of Falster) at 54° 33' 35" northern latitude, the westernmost point is Blåvandshuk at 8° 4' 22" eastern longitude, and the easternmost point is Østerskær at 15° 11' 55" eastern longitude. This is in the archipelago Ertholmene 18 kilometres northeast of Bornholm. The distance from east to west is 452 km (over 280 mi), from north to south 368 km (228 mi).
Denmark consists of the peninsula of Jutland (Jylland) and 443 named islands. Of these, 76 are inhabited, with the largest being Zealand (Sjælland) and Funen (Fyn). The island of Bornholm is located somewhat east of the rest of the country, in the Baltic Sea. Many of the larger islands are connected by bridges; the Øresund Bridge connects Zealand with Sweden, the Great Belt Bridge connects Funen with Zealand, and the Little Belt Bridge connects Jutland with Funen. Ferries or small aircraft connect to the smaller islands. Main cities are the capital Copenhagen (on Zealand), Århus, Aalborg and Esbjerg (on Jutland) and Odense (on Funen).
The country is flat with little elevation; having an average height above sea level of only 31 metres (101 feet) and the highest natural point is Møllehøj, at 170.86 metres (560.6 ft). Other hills in the same area southwest of Århus are Yding Skovhøj at 170.77 metres (560.3 ft) and Ejer Bavnehøj at 170.35 metres (558.9 ft). The area of inland water is: (eastern Denmark) 210 km² (81 sq mi); (western D.) 490 km² (189 sq mi).
Denmark is split into 443 named islands which results in a long coastline, 7,314 kilometres (4,544 mi). A perfect circle enclosing the same area as Denmark would have a circumference of only 742 kilometres (461 mi). Another feature that shows the close connection between the land and ocean is that no location in Denmark is farther from the coast than 52 kilometres (32.3 mi). The size of the land area of Denmark cannot be stated exactly since the ocean constantly erodes and adds material to the coastline, and because of human land reclamation projects (to counter erosion). On the southwest coast of Jutland, the tide is between 1 and 2 metres (3 to 6.5 feet), and the tideline moves outward and inward on a 10 kilometres (6 mi) stretch.
The climate is in the temperate zone. The winters are not particularly cold with mean temperatures in January and February of 0.0 °C and the summers are cool with mean temperature in August 15.7 °C. There is a lot of wind, which is stronger during the winter and weaker during the summer. Denmark has an average of 170 rainy days. The greatest rainfall comes in September, October and November.
Because of Denmark's northern location, the length of the day with sunlight varies greatly. There are short days during the winter with sunrise coming around 8 a.m. and sunset 3:30 p.m., as well as long summer days with sunrise at 3:30 a.m. and sunset at 10 p.m. The shortest and longest days of the year have traditionally been celebrated. The celebration for the shortest day corresponds roughly with Christmas (Danish: jul) and modern celebrations concentrate on Christmas Eve, 24 December. The Norse word jól is a plural, indicating that pre-Christian society celebrated a season with multiple feasts. Christianity introduced the celebration of Christmas, resulting in the use of the Norse name also for the Christian celebration. Efforts by the Catholic Church to replace this name with kristmesse were unsuccessful. The celebration for the longest day is Midsummer Day, which is known in Denmark as sankthansaften (St. John's evening). Celebrations of Midsummer have taken place since pre-Christian times.
Regions and municipalities
:For the administrative divisions used until 2006, see Counties of Denmark.
Denmark is divided into five regions (Danish: regioner, singular: region) and a total of 98 municipalities. The regions were created on 1 January 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish Municipal Reform to replace the country's traditional thirteen counties (amter). At the same time, smaller municipalities (kommuner) were merged into larger units, cutting the number of municipalities from 270 to 98. The most important area of responsibility for the new regions is the national health service. Unlike the former counties, the regions are not allowed to levy taxes, and the health service is primarily financed by a national 8% (sundhedsbidrag) tax combined with funds from both government and municipalities. Each Regional Council consists of 41 elected politicians elected as part of the 2005 Danish municipal elections.
Most of the new municipalities have a population of least 20,000 people, although a few exceptions were made to this rule.
Greenland and the Faroe Islands are also parts of the Kingdom of Denmark, but have autonomous status and are largely self-governing, and are each represented by two seats in the parliament.
Economy
Denmark's market economy features high-tech agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry, extensive government welfare measures, comfortable living standards, a stable currency, and high dependence on foreign trade. Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and has a comfortable balance of payments surplus and zero net foreign debt. Also of importance is the sea territory of more than 105,000 km² (40,000+ sq mi).
The Danish economy is highly unionised; 75% of its labour force are members of a trade union. Most trade unions take part in the organized umbrella system of trade unions, the biggest umbrella organization being the so-called LO, the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions. However, increasing numbers in the labour force choose not to become members of a trade union or to become members of one of the trade unions outside the organized system (often referred to as the yellow, in Danish gule, trade unions).
Relationships between unions and employers are cooperative: unions have a day-to-day role in managing the workplace, and their representatives sit on most companies' board of directors. Rules on work schedules and pay are negotiated between unions and employers, with minimal government involvement. The unemployment rate April 2007 was 3.7%, for a total of 102,100 persons. The number of unemployed is forecast at 65,000 in 2015. The number of people in the working age group, less disability pensioners etc., will grow by 10,000 to 2,860,000, and jobs by 70,000 to 2,790,000. Parttime jobs included. Because of the present high demand for but lacking supply of skilled labour, especially regarding factory, transport, building and construction jobs, in addition to hospital nurses and physicians, the annual average working hours have risen, especially compared with the economic downturn 1987 – 1993.
Denmark's national currency, the krone (plural: kroner), is de facto linked to the Euro through ERMII. Currently (March 2007) exchanges with American dollars at a rate of about USD 0.18 per krone (about 5.60 kroner per dollar).
The government has met the economic convergence criteria for participating in the third phase (a common European currency) of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (EMU), but Denmark, in a September 2000 referendum, rejected Monetary Union.
In the area of sickness and unemployment, the right to benefit is, always dependent on former employment and at times also on membership of an unemployment fund, which is almost always -but need not be- administered by a trade union, and the payment of contributions; however the largest share of the financial burden is still carried by the central government and financed from general taxation, not in the main from earmarked contributions.
The Danish welfare model is accompanied by a taxation system which is both broad based (25% VAT and excise) and with high income tax rates (minimum tax rate for adults is 38%).
Denmark is home to many well known multi-national companies, among them: A.P. Moller-Maersk Group (Maersk - international shipping), Lego (children's toys), Bang & Olufsen (hi-fi equipment), and the pharmaceutical companies Lundbeck and Novo Nordisk.
Transport
Enormous investment has been made in recent decades in building road and rail links between Copenhagen and Malmö, Sweden (the Øresund Bridge), and between Zealand and Funen (the Great Belt Fixed Link).
The main railway operator is Danske Statsbaner (Danish State Railways) for passenger services and Railion for freight trains. The railway tracks are maintained by Banedanmark. Copenhagen has a small Metro system and an extensive S-tog electrified suburban railway network.
Denmark's national airline (together with Norway and Sweden) is Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) and Copenhagen Airport is the country's largest airport, and also the biggest hub in Scandinavia.
A ferry link to the Faroe Islands is maintained by Smyril Line. Other international ferry services are mainly operated by DFDS (to Norway and the UK) and Scandlines (to Germany and Sweden).
Demographics
The majority of the population is of Scandinavian descent, with small groups of Inuit from Greenland, Faroese, and immigrants. According to official statistics in 2005, 461,614 immigrants and their descendants made up 8.5% of the total population — a large number of whom come from South Asia, and The Middle East. During recent years, anti-immigration sentiment has surfaced in Denmark as is the case also in many other parts of Europe.
Danish is spoken throughout the country, although a small group near the German border also speak German. English is the most widely spoken foreign language.
According to official statistics from January 2006, 83.0% of Danes are members of the Lutheran state church, the Danish People's Church (Den Danske Folkekirke), also known as the Church of Denmark. 4% of the Danish population adhere to Islam, and other religions in Denmark, include non-Lutheran Christian denominations.
As in most countries, the population is not distributed evenly. Although the land area east of the Great Belt only makes up 9,622 km² (3,715 sq mi), 22.7% of Denmark's land area, it has 45% (2,445,168) of the population. The average population density of this area is 254 inhabitants per km² (658 per sq mi). The average density in the west of the country (32,772 km²/12,653 sq mi) is 91/km² (236 per sq mi) (2006).
The median age is 39.8 years with 0.98 males per female. 98.2% of the population is literate (age 15 and up). 1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.), which reflects a coming drop in worker to retiree ratio. The annual average population growth is 0.33%.
Population 1 January 2007 was 5,447,084, which equals 128.48 inh./km² land area or 332.78 inh./sq mi. land area (16,368 sq mi). 1 April 2007, 5,451,826 people (128.60/km²;333.07/sq mi.)
lived in Denmark. Censuses merely for population numbers are not conducted; they are based on the computerised, day-to-day updated Central Office of Civil Registration.
Education
The Danish education system offers free access to public school, high school and most kinds of higher education (universities etc.). About 99% of the general population attend elementary school (lasting 9 to 10 years); 86% attend secondary school and 41% pursue further education.
Primary school in Denmark is "den Danske Folkeskole" (translated: "the Danish Public School"). It goes from 0-10th grade (10th grade is optional). In Denmark one can also go to "Friskole"/"Privatskole" or "free school"/private school: schools that are not under the municipalities. An example is "Rudolf Steiner Skolerne" or "Waldorf Schools".
"folkehøjskolerne", introduced by N.F.S. Grundtvig in the 1800s, are social education structures without tests or grades but emphasising communal learning, self-discovery, and learning how to think.
Following graduation from "Folkeskolen", there are several other educational opportunities, including "Gymnasium" (comparable to High School), HF (similar to Gymnasium, but one year shorter), HTX (with focus on Mathematics and engineering), and HHX (with a focus on trading and business).
Culture
Hans Christian Andersen is known beyond Denmark for his moralistic fairy tales, such as "The Emperor's New Clothes", "The Little Mermaid", and "The Ugly Duckling". Karen Blixen (pen name: Isak Dinesen), Nobel laureate author Henrik Pontoppidan, and the Philosopher Søren Kirkegaard have also made a name for themselves outside Denmark.
Modern film makers of note include Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg.
The capital city of Copenhagen includes the Tivoli gardens, the Amalienborg Palace (home of the Danish monarchy), The Little Mermaid.
The most popular sport in Denmark is football (soccer). Sailing and other water sports are popular, as are indoor sports such as badminton, handball and various forms of gymnastics. In Denmark there is also a smaller group of people doing motorsport, but with success. The most winning driver on the 24 Hours of Le Mans race ever, with 7 1st places is Tom Kristensen, who comes from Denmark.
Denmark, like its Scandinavian neighbors, has been historically considered to have one of the most socially progressive cultures in the world. Denmark was the first country in the world to legalize pornography (in 1969). Denmark later became the first country in the world to grant same-sex couples all of the rights and responsibilities of marriage, as registered partnership (in 1989).
Danish Food
The cuisine of Denmark, like that in the other Scandinavian countries (Sweden and Norway), as well as that of northern Germany, its neighbor to the south, is heavy, consisting mainly of meat and fish. This stems from the country's agricultural past, as well as its geography and climate of long, cold winters.
Traditional Danish food includes frikadeller (fried meatballs, often served with potatoes and various sorts of gravy), karbonader/krebinetter (another sort of fried meatballs), steaks and so on. Mostly eaten with potatoes, which used to be very popular in Denmark. Fish is also widely eaten, especially on the west coast of Jutland. A favourite condiment, remoulade, is eaten with french fries, on fried plaice, on salami, spring rolls etc.
Military
The armed forces of Denmark are known as the Danish Defense Force (Danish: Det Danske Forsvar). During peacetime, the Ministry of Defence (FM) in Denmark employs, in four branches, 15,450 in the Royal Danish Army, 5,300 in the Royal Navy, 6,050 in the Danish Air Force and more than 55,000 in the Danish Home Guard following completion of their conscript service.
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